Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The French Vietnam Dioxin Association (Collectif Vietnam Dioxine) has organized a public rally at Trocadero Square in Paris to garner support for Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO) victims.

The three-hour rally on Sunday was held to mark the International Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare.

During the meeting, photos of Vietnamese AO victims were distributed to visitors to help them understand the heavy consequences of the US-waged war that many Vietnamese people are still suffering from three decades after it ended.

More than 2,500 Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns attended the 7th Congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Sangha, which was held at Pho Quang Pagoda from April 24-26.

The congress also saw the attendance of representatives from Buddhist Sanghas of 34 provinces and cities and other religions in the country.

Speaking at the plenary session on April 26, Venerable Thich Tri Quang, Head of the Executive Board of the Ho Chi Minh City Buddhist Sangha, emphasised the need to reform activities of the Sangha under the motto of “Dharma-Nation-Socialism.”

The Ministry of Culture and Information has chosen 11 cultural genres to be displayed at the 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, in the US, in late June.

A delegation of 52 members, including 39 folk artists and artisans, will participate in the festival, which will take place from June 23-July 9.

Veteran Gary Canant, famous author of over 200 letters to his wife Maxie during the Vietnam War, arrived in Hanoi Monday on a nine-day trip during which he will play the bugle in memory of war victims.
Accompanying him was Maxie and his son Kevin, who served in Iraq in 2003-04.
Maxie said: “Our trip to Vietnam this time aims to commemorate the deaths. And we want to say we hate war.”